# Massachusetts H 5614: An Act authorizing the release or exclusion of certain land from conservation restrictions in the town of Deerfield Massachusetts H 5614, An Act authorizing the release or exclusion of certain land from conservation restrictions in the town of Deerfield, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by House Committee on Ways and Means; status signed, last action 2026-08-06 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5614-194 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Massachusetts H 5614 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act authorizing the release or exclusion of certain land from conservation restrictions in the town of Deerfield - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-07-29 - Last action: 2026-08-06, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: House Ways and Means - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (158 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Land release for Upper Road fix: benefit, low. The law releases about 15,977 square feet from a recorded conservation restriction so MassDOT can fix Upper Road over the Deerfield River. It applies only to the listed easement and temporary work parcels. All other land under that restriction stays protected. - Appraisal review and MassDOT pays costs: mixed, low. An independent appraiser must value the properties for market and use. The Inspector General reviews and approves the appraisal and methods. The commissioner must send the appraisal and IG review to House and Senate Ways and Means and certain committee chairs at least 15 days before the conveyance.… - Town adds land, access, restoration duties: mixed, low. The town must give the Commonwealth a conservation restriction over about 5.5 acres on Mill Village Road (parcel 87-8) for DCR to hold. The town must also secure a pedestrian access license over Great River Hydro land and make needed access improvements, with the location set by the DCR commissione… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means - Cosponsor: Joanne M. Comerford (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Natalie M. Blais (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-07-30 | House | Enacted | pass | 158 | 0 | | ## Actions (11) - 2026-08-06: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-07-30: Laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-07-30: Enacted -see Roll Call #226 (Yeas 39 to Nays 0) (Senate) - 2026-07-30: Enacted - 158 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 244) (House) - 2026-07-30: Read, rules suspended, read second, ordered to a third reading, read third and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2026-07-29: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2026-07-29: Rules suspended (House) - 2026-07-29: Ordered to a third reading (House) - 2026-07-29: New draft of H4483 (House) - 2026-07-29: Pending new draft of H4483 (House) - 2026-07-29: Reported from the committee on House Ways and Means (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-08-06: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5614.pdf) ## Related bills - H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate) - H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed) - H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house) - H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed) - H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) - H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the town of Sudbury (signed) ## Sources - [Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5614.pdf) ## Related - [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194) - [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194) - [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194) - [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194) - [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the t…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4755-194) - [Massachusetts bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts/bills) - [Massachusetts state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5614-194 (as of 2026-11-01).